Guest Editorial
The election for Burnet County Judge is about integrity, management and leadership. You have only one candidate, which is myself, Alan Trevino, that has actually been in (DPS) and currently is in law enforcement (BCSO). Versus my opponent that claims he has led law enforcement (push card) or has over a 34-year career in law enforcement (website), or has served at every level of public safety (website), when he has never held a TCOLE license or been a police officer. That’s not true and that’s not integrity. In the military that would be considered stolen valor!
I have actual law enforcement leadership and management experience. Both while with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) as the Assistant Detail Leader for Governor George W. Bush and as your current Chief Deputy for the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). With DPS, I lead, trained, managed and delivered a protective service to the first family of the State of Texas. Failure was not an option. What was key is, effective leadership and management. I was part of a team. It was never I; it was we. Similar to being the presiding officer of the Commissioners Court. You lead a team of 5, not a rule by 1. I will work with the commissioners to make Burnet County the best we can be. As your Chief Deputy, I have a proven record of leadership and management and I am known for building and developing relationships. I already manage half the county budget and almost half the county employees. I coordinate the needs of all divisions within the sheriff’s office in developing the budget and layout a comprehensive plan to maximize equipment and personnel needs within our proposed budget.
My opponent voted against adding 4 deputy positions to the sheriff’s office. ALL 4 elected commissioners voted in favor of adding the deputies (commissioners court). After the commissioners approved the positions in a 4-1 vote, my opponent attempted to move the new deputies to the constable offices. The funds actually came from cutting excess from other areas of the budget. He claims in his radio ad to “Support law enforcement”. Those acts are not pro law enforcement; they’re anti sheriff’s office.
Ones integrity should be questioned also for taking sole credit for reducing county debt by nearly $8 million (Wilson push card). When the former county judge’s response to this is, “Easy cowboy, don’t be making fake hay. Claiming you reduced debt by $8M is bogus. That reduction in bonded indebtedness is the result of bonds being payed off on normal expiration schedule”. (Oakley Facebook post on Wilson site) That claim is now up to $12M since he filed to run. I’m going to agree that the debt dropped because of regularly scheduled bond payments coupled with no new debt.
Lastly, my opponent claims to have voted against or for various items in the FY26 budget. Let me make it very clear. He voted against the budget….period. He voted against everything in the budget. A budget that passed 4-1. Again, ALL 4 elected commissioners voted for the budget. When you don’t get your way, you work with the rest of the court to deliver the best for Burnet County. I will work with all 4 commissioners.
We have a fundamentally different style of management and leadership. I have been a servant leader all my life. I lead with compassion and manage with integrity and ethics. My door is and will always be open to elected officials, department heads, county employees and the public. I build relationships and trust. Here’s a simple exercise; go ask a county employee who they are voting for. Their answer, Alan Trevino!
